2011 International Conference on Electronic & Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology

The application of soil temperature measurement by LM35 temperature sensors

Cuihong Liu, Wentao Ren*, Benhua Zhang,Changyi Lv
College of Engineering,
Shenyang Agricultural University
Shenyang, P. R. China
Author email:cuihongliu77@ 126.com
(*Corresponding author email:Renwentao 1958@yahoo.cn)

Abstract Consider revising medium temperature used LM35
temperature sensor, what is an economic and feasible method.
This study mainly researches the applicability of LM35
temperature sensor in soil temperature testing field. Selected
the sensor, and based on the theoretical equation between the
sensor output voltage and Celsius temperature; introduced
correction coefficient, carried through the calibration
experiment of the sensor; further more, it is applied to the
potted rice's soil temperature detection. The calibration results
show that, each sensor correction coefficient is different from
others, but these numerical are close to 1, the linear
relationship was very significant between tested medium
temperature and sensor output voltage. In the key trial period
of rice potted, used LM35DZ type temperature sensor to
measure the soil temperature. The analysis result show that,
the changing trends are basically equal both soil temperature
and air temperature, and the characteristics of soil
temperatures are lag. The variance analysis shows that, the
difference was not significant paper film covered and without
covered on soil temperature.
Keywords-LM35DZ temperature sensor; calibration; soil
temperature; detection
I. INTRODUCTION
The caloric conversion of soil leads to soil heat and mass
flow, which affects soil temperature. The soil temperature is
one of the important environmental factors, with the
changing of climate, topography, vegetation, soil type,
planting form, and other factors, the soil temperature is
closely related with some processes, such as crop planting
time, tillering growth, and wintering safety etc .The change
of soil temperature directly impact on soil nutrient absorption
and soil moisture keep and sport, The soil temperature plays
a certain role on many of the physical processes of soil. The
soil water and heat migration is an important research
problem. Therefore, the observation of soil temperature real
time and understanding of soil temperature variation have
vital significance to agricultural production and scientific
research [2, 4, 7].
The traditional measuring method is to insert the sensor
into soil before read the records. The measurement of soil
temperature has some characters, such as larger area, much
observation points, and the time observation lasting is longer
etc, which results in detecting data inaccurate in that survey
crew visual fatigue and other factors [5]. At present,
commonly used soil temperature measuring instruments
mainly involves non-contact thermo-detector by infrared
spectrum, the temperature sensor using the PN junction
transistor, and the temperature sensor using thermostats. The
measuring precision is higher than using the infrared, but the
cost is higher, too. It needs calibration the system parameters
that measurements using the transistor PN junction and
thermostats [4].This study mainly research the applications
of LM35 integrated circuit temperature sensors in soil
temperature measurement. The sensor has some advantages
such as lower cost, high reliability, measurement and carry
easy, as well as can be embedded within the designated soil
achieve long-term observations.
II. T H E WORKING THEORY OF LM35 TEMPERATURE
SENSOR
LM35 is integrated circuit temperature sensor made by
National Semiconductor. It has higher precision and wider
range of linear working. The output voltage LM35 linear
proportional Celsius temperature, at ordinary temperatures, it
can provide 1/4C common precision of room temperature
without need additional calibration or fine-tune [8]. The test
used LM35DZ-92 type temperature sensor with plastic
packaging. The pin functions as shown in figure 1, basic
working parameters are:
Working voltage: dc 4 ~ 30V;
Working current: less than 133 uA;
Output voltage: + 6V 1.0V;
Output impedance: 1mA load 0.1^2;
Measuring precision: 0.5 C (in + 25 C);
Leak current: less than 60 uA;
Scale factor: linear + 10.0 mV / C;
Nonlinear value: 1/4 C;
Calibration means: use directly Celsius temperature
calibration;
Measuring temperature range: 0 ~ 100 C.
3 2 1
1 power +Vs; 2 output Vout; 3 grounding GND
Figure 1. LM35DZ temperature sensor's pin function.
This experiment mainly research about testing crop root
layer soil temperature used LM35DZ temperature sensor.

978-1-61284- -8/ll/$26.00 2011 IEEE 1825 12-14 August, 2011

The biggest changing range of soil temperature is 0 ~ 40 C. calibrate to LM35DZ temperature sensor. The variance of
According to the test requirements, the detection circuit was linear regression analysis shows that,it is very significant
designed,which be shown in figure 2. Three core wires, linear relationship between medium temperature and output
LVVP type ,were used measurment ,and it's length is voltage.
600mm. one side of the wire connects the sensor pins, the
other side connects power source and output terminal. The TABLE I. THE REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF LM35DZ TEMPERATURE
SENSOR'S TEMPERATURE CHARACTERISTICS
sensor adopts 9V batteries, the sensor's output voltage(Kout)
was detected using the type VC97 multimeter. The theory Sensor serial Correction Regression Correlation
computation formula of soil temperature (7) is: number coefficient(K) equation coefficient(R 2 )
1 1.005 r=1.005K O ut/Kt 0.9999
T=V0JKt. (1) 2 1.020 r=1.020F o u t /K t 0.9996

Account for: TSoil temperature, C, VoutSoil 3 1.009 r=1.009K O ut/Kt 0.9997

temperature multimeter's output voltage, mV, K t Linear 4 1.009 r=1.009K O ut/Kt 0.9999
scale factor, adopt 10.0 mV /C.
5 0.985 T= 0.985 Kout/Kt 0.9999
+Vs
6 0.994 r=0.994F o u t /K t 0.9994

7 1.031 r=1.031K O ut/Kt 0.9997

LM35
DZ Vout 8 0.999 r=0.999F o u t /K t 0.9999

9 1.011 r=1.011K O ut/Kt 0.9996

GND 10 0.999 r=0.999F o u t /K t 1.0000

Figure 2. The principle of detection circuit about LM35DZ temperature 11 1.012 r=1.012F o u t /K t 0.9996
sensor.
12 0.995 T= 0.995 Kout/Kt 0.9999

III. L M 3 5 TEMPERATURE SENSOR'S CALIBRATION IV. T H E TEST OF SOIL TEMPERATURE BASED ON LM35
EXPERIMENT TEMPERATURE SENSOR

A. Test materials and methods A. Test plan

In order to validating the detection performance of
LM35DZ temperature sensor,and achieving test the soil
temperature to multipoint repeatly, the experiments of
detection performance about sensor calibration must carry
out. Preparating ice water mixture, filtering on its heating,
calibrating LM35DZ test results used glass mercury
thermometer; Choosing twelve LM35DZ temperature
sensors for calibration experiment, using standard glass
mercury thermometer (WBG-0-2,made in hongxing
instrument and meters factory ,in Wuqiang County, HeBei
Province), the range of temperature measurement is 0-50C,
measurement accuracy is 0.1 C. Adopt SPSS 13.0 software to
analysis the test data.
B. The analysis of experiment result
Based on the theoretical equation (formula 1) between the
sensor output voltage and medium temperature, introduced
correction coefficient K),revised the values of the sensor's
assessment. Used the least squares to carry through linear
regression analysis on the test data, and got the equation
relationship between all temperature sensors and the
correction coefficient of temperature-voltage.As shown in
table 1. Visibly, it exists good linear relationship between
medium temperature and sensor output voltage, Each
sensor's correction coefficient is different from the others,
but these numerical are close to 1. In order to getting
accurate measurement results of temperature, it must
Applying LM35DZ temperature sensor to paper film
covers rice potted experiments, detecting the soil
temperature of rice. The test is worked in laboratory for
agricultural machinery, Shenyang Agricultural University in
2010. Geographical position for 4 1 0 i r - 4 3 0 2 ' N latitude,
122 0 25'-123 0 48' E longitude. Toughened plastic soil bin was
used, and its length is 600mm, the width is 415mm, the
height is 430mm. Tested soil is the brown loam, natural
moisture content is 6.35%, the total weight of soil and soil
bin are 100kg. Test papers were made in YFY Biotech Co.
Ltd, Jiangsu, China, and its specification is
lOOOOOmmx 1260mm, the thickness is 0.1 mm. this paper
will decompose naturally after forty days.
The test carrying out under the same conditions, such as
rice type, seedlings, transplanting, density, and field
management measurements etc. Two treatments are designed
in the test: F is planting rice under paper mulching, W is
planting rice without overburden, and each treatment is done
three times. Each test embedded within two LM35DZ in
basin of temperature sensors, embedding depth for 10cm.
Select several key time of rice growth points, detecting daily
soil temperature of various treatments from 8:00 to 17:00,
testing time interval for one hour.

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B. The analysis of experiment result
Selected three key points-in-time in the period of rice's
growth stages, involving with regreening, tillering, and
booting. To analysis of the diurnal variation characteristics
of soil temperature, as shown in figure 3-5. In rice's
regreening stage and tillering stage, soil temperature are
trends that rising in first and declining then, boundary point
in 15:00 around, the changing trends are basically equal both
soil temperature and air temperature, and the characteristics
of soil temperatures are lag. In rice's booting stage, the rice
grows thrives, the surface of soil coverage increased, which
lead to soil temperature rises slowly. At the time froml5:00
to 17:00, the soil temperature changes tend to be gentle.
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
t basic equal after 15:00. The reason is to likely that paper
Figure 3. The curve of diurnal change in soil temperature of regreening
stage.
8:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00
t
Figure 4. The curve of diurnal change in soil temperature of tillering stage.
26.0
22.0
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
t
Figure 5. The curve of diurnal change in soil temperature of booting stage.
Paper covering has changed the boundary layer structure
of the soil, thus influences the changing trend of soil
temperature. In the regreening stage (June 10, sunny
weather), at the period from 8:00tol3:00, the soil
temperature of paper covering is lower than without covering;
the soil temperatures of the two processing are basic equal
after 13:00. The probably reason is that paper covering has
slowed the heating speed of the soil. In the tillering stage
(June 23, sunny weather), at the period from 8:00tol5:00, the
soil temperature of paper covering is higher than without
covering; the soil temperatures of the two processing are
covering has improved the physical properties of the soil. In
booting stage (August 18, sunny weather), paper film has
completely decomposed, the soil temperatures of the two
processing are basic equal. The Variance Analysis show that,
it is not significant difference that of the two processing soil
temperature.
26.0 Before calibration
After calibration
25.0
20:00 23.0
22.0
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
t
Figure 6. The contrast of the test results to paper covering before and after
calibration of the sensor.
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 26.0 r- Before calibration
After calibration
22.0 I 1 ' ' 1 ' 1 ' ' 1
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
t calculate the medium temperature.
Figure 7. The contrast of the test results to without covering before and
after calibration of the sensor.
In order to analyzing the effect of calibration experiment
about the temperature sensor, according to the test data on
August 18, contrast the test results two circumstances before
calibration the sensor and after calibration , as shown in
figure 6 and 7. The results show that, the values of after
sensor calibration are higher than before calibration. The
Variance Analysis shows that, it is not significant that values
of before sensor calibration and after calibration. It is thus
clear that, the application results of LM35DZ temperature
sensor are equal to that of calibration experiment.
V. CONCLUSIONS
The calibration experiments of LM35DZ type
temperature sensor detection performance were carried on in
this study. Based on these experiments, applied these sensors
to the soil temperature detection. Through compared the
paper covered the rice and without covering potted
experiments, the application effects of LM35DZ type
temperature sensor were studied. Preliminary conclusions
have been drawn as the following:
(1) In order to correcting the errors of pins welding
production and other processes, the calibration experiments
of LM35DZ temperature sensor detection performance were
carried on. The results show that, each sensor correction
coefficient is different from others, but these numerical are
close to 1.Visibly, the linear relationship was very
significant between tested medium temperature and sensor
output voltage.
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(2) Applying LM35 temperature sensor to paper film
covers rice potted experiments, detecting the soil
temperature of rice. The tests results show that, the changing
trends of each treatment are basically equal both soil
temperature and air temperature, and the characteristics of
soil temperatures are lag.
(3) Both Calibration experiment and the soil temperature
detecting test indicate that, the values of after sensor
calibration are higher than before calibration. But, it is not
significant that values of before sensor calibration and after
calibration. Obviously, in some cases what requirement is
not particularly strict, it can be directly applied the
temperature characteristic equations before calibration, to
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This research was supported by Natural Science
Foundation of China (No.51075283), young scientist fund of
Shenyang Agricultural University (No.20091015) and
project of Liaoning agricultural mechanization key
laboratories (No. 2009403021).
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